by Tessa Gray
“I’m going out for a walk. I won’t be long. I just need to get some air.” Without another word, he headed out the front door, over to Hogan’s Barber Shop.
~ ~ ~
Jake Crenshaw sat in the barber’s chair and tried to remember an Aggie joke he hadn’t told his barber.
“What can I do for you today, Jake?”
“The usual. Not too short. My lady likes it longer.” After he said it he waited several seconds, just long enough for Rod to ask about Rachel.
“Still dating the lady from Dallas?”
“Yup, Dallas and me are pretty tight. She’s teaching over at the Christian school this year. With any luck, she’ll stay in Alpine permanently.”
Not.
“Sounds like you might be settling down, Crenshaw.”
Jake laughed at the barber’s remark, not because it was terribly funny, but because the truth was he and Rachel seemed to be drifting apart lately. Of course, he hadn’t shared that with anyone. Lately, she’d begun talking about moving back to Dallas. While their sex life had been great initially, things had slowed down considerably in the bedroom, leading him to conclude his flirtatious ways and stale jokes were beginning to wear thin.
Rod had barely started trimming his hair when Adam sauntered in.
Jake whirled around in the barber chair and bellowed out a greeting. “Adam, my man, how goes it?”
“I’m good, Jake. Yourself?” Even as Adam said it, he appeared to be disengaged. As he flopped down into a chair in the waiting area, he picked up a magazine and began thumbing through it. When one of the other barbers motioned him to a nearby barber’s chair, Adam sprung to his feet.
“Why don’t we take it all off this time?” Adam held his hand up as though it were a scissors, motioning the barber to cut it off above the ear.
“You want it trimmed around the ear?” The barber was staring at Adam, a puzzled expression on his face. “Are you sure about this?”
“Real sure.”
As Jake listened to the hum of the clippers, Adam sat rigidly, as though uncertain his decision had been the right one.
But to Adam’s credit, he let the barber go about his business, large clumps of black hair cascading to the floor. When it was over, half the barbershop was staring over at Adam, as though stunned he’d cut most of his hair off.
The barber spent several minutes blow drying Adam’s hair, and by the time the guy left the barber’s chair, he looked like a changed man.
Jake studied the cut, noting how precisely the barber had trimmed around his ears. Overall, it looked good, the shorter style accentuating Adam’s shiny, black, thick hair.
When his friend got up to pay the bill, Jake couldn’t resist asking him what had prompted him to cut so much hair off. “You having a midlife crisis or something?”
Adam laughed at the remark but quickly assured Jake that wasn’t the reason. “Meredith’s mother is coming to town. She can’t stand the sight of me. I’m trying to give her one less reason to hate me. But in all honesty, I doubt it’ll work.”
Jake felt the hair on his back stand up at Adam’s omission. What kind of a guy chopped off his hair to please a woman who had it in for him?
“Didn’t consider you the type to cave to Mere’s old lady. I thought you couldn’t stand the woman.”
Adam clenched his jaw, as though angered by the comment. “Katrina Gustafson is Meredith’s mother. I don’t particularly care for her, but she does deserve our respect, Jake. I’m not doing this for her, I’m doing it for Meredith. It’s a small price to pay for making things easier between the two of them.”
Before Jake could reply, Adam slapped down a tip, paid his bill and raced out of the barbershop.
~ ~ ~
Meredith put the finishing touches on the salad and tossed it one more time for good measure. When several pieces of the romaine lettuce splattered against the side of the bowl, she realized her frustration was showing.
Just toss the salad, no need to kill it.
She checked her watch again and placed the salad in the fridge. She’d barely gotten the door closed when Adam walked in.
When she looked up at him, she barely recognized him. Gone was his chin length hair, replaced by a short, tapered, very stylish cut. He wore it well, but judging by the puzzled expression on his face, he was still getting used to it.
“Adam! Oh, my gosh. I like it! I really, really like it!”
“I’m still deciding...”
When she threw her arms about his neck, he bent down and ran his mouth along her throat. “God, Mere. I can’t get enough of you.”
“The feeling is mutual, Adam.”
They stood close to one another now, as he continued holding her. She inhaled the scent of his aftershave, wanting more than anything for the two of them to make love again. But her parents would be here any minute. There wasn’t time, there just wasn’t enough time. That’s the one thing the two of them never seemed to have enough of, time. And now that the kids would be back, she wondered when they’d make love again.
“Remember not to mention us moving in together, all right?”
He nodded at her comment, before teasing her. “Wish we’d never decided that.”
He leaned over and kissed her again. As he ran his tongue beneath an earlobe to that sweet spot, his breath warmed her. But as deeply as she craved him, she realized that if the two of them ended up making love and her parents walked in on them, it would prove disastrous.
“Next Tuesday I finish up at the diner at two. I know you don’t have any afternoon classes that day. How about I come to your place and we . . .”
When she stopped talking he chuckled and finishing the sentence for her. “And we bang the hell out of each other.”
She nodded, too weak to correct the vulgar remark. And truthfully, that is exactly what the two of them did. No use being pretentious about it.
As Adam began gathering several utensils for the outside grill, she watched him work. The man was just about as reserved as they come, but when the two of them made love, he seemed to lose himself. It had never been that way with Blake, and she doubted there was a man alive that she could ever satisfy her this much.
For the time being, she wouldn’t discuss her and Adam moving in together. But eventually her parents, her mother in particular, would have to come around. As things stood, if she had to choose between her mother and Adam, Adam Lightfoot would win. Hands down.
~ ~ ~
Bob Gustafson stepped aside, waiting for Katrina and the children to ring the doorbell of Meredith’s apartment. Plopping down the duffle bags belonging to his grandkids, he ordered his wife to hurry it up. “These damn bags weigh a ton. I can’t wait to get them inside.” He rubbed his lower back, wondering if he’d be able to climb out of bed in the morning.
The second his daughter unlocked the front door, he heard her shriek.
Meredith grabbed Travis and hugged him tightly. She quickly turned her attention to Carly. “You are growing up before my very eyes. Wow . . . I love that purse. Did Grandma buy it for you?”
“Yup.” Carly pulled it off her shoulder, handing it to Meredith. “Isn’t it amazing? It’s an original, not some stupid knock-off.”
As the smile vanished from his daughter’s face, Bob wondered if Carly’s need to flaunt her expensive handbag offended Meredith. During her marriage to Blake, she’d blown money on frivolous items. Now, from what he was learning, she monitored her spending carefully and encouraged the children to do the same with their allowances.
“It wouldn’t matter if it was a knock off, at least not to most people,” Meredith said, handing the purse back to Carly as she led them all to the kitchen.
Meredith quickly began making introductions. “Dad, this is Adam. Adam, meet my dad, B
ob Gustafson.”
Bob watched his daughter race through the introductions, her gaze flitting nervously between each of the two men and her mother.
Travis raced over to Adam, and Adam quickly dropped to one knee, allowing Travis to reach over and give him a hug.
“Missed ya, buddy. Did ya have a good time?”
“Yeah, we did. I got you a Cowboys shirt. Do you like Tony Romo? That’s the shirt I got you.” Travis raced over to the bags in the entry way and began rummaging through them.
“Nine is my lucky number. Ya did good, bud.” Adam chuckled as Travis continued searching for the shirt. But when Katrina walked over to him, the laughter stopped.
“Nice to see you again, Adam.” While the words fit nicely together, Katrina’s tone was icy and condescending.
“Very nice to see you again, Mrs. Gustafson. It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Gustafson. Did you enjoy your trip?”
“Please, call me Bob.” After he said it, he laid his hand on Adam’s shoulder, ignoring Katrina’s icy glare.
Adam picked up several utensils and motioned Travis to follow him outside. “Hey Travis, I could sure use a hand out here. We’re grilling hot dogs and burgers.”
When Travis stopped what he was doing and raced over to follow Adam, Bob realized that in spite of the fact Meredith and Adam hadn’t known one another that long, Travis seemed totally at ease around Adam.
He glanced over at Meredith and noticed how her eyes lit up when Adam handed Travis a spatula.
“You’re welcome to join us out on the patio, Bob.” Adam looked over at him, waiting for an answer.
“You betcha. I’ll just nab some drinks for us. Beer okay, Adam?”
Katrina glared at Adam before the poor guy could answer. He watched Adam’s jaw muscles tightening up, as though he was trying desperately to keep his composure. His wife and this Lightfoot fellow seemed to have some pretty intense body language going. He knew Katrina couldn’t stand Adam, but he now suspected the feeling might be mutual.
He looked over at Meredith who by now was studying Adam’s reaction. She and Adam locked eyes, and that’s when the young man finally spoke up. “I’d love a beer, Bob. Why don’t you bring out several? We’ll probably be out here for a while.”
When his daughter handed Bob the six pack of beer, he raced outside, eager to not end up in the crossfire. Apparently, Katrina and this guy were like oil and vinegar. What Adam didn’t know was that once Katrina made up her mind about something, there was no changing it. The poor guy didn’t stand a chance.
Chapter 17
The next morning, Meredith rose early to spend some time with her dad. It’d been a while since the two of them had gone out for breakfast, so she decided to take him over to the diner.
They barely got through the door of Penny’s Diner when Stephanie greeted them. “You must be Mere’s dad. I’m Stephanie.”
“My boss, actually.” After Meredith said it, the three of them laughed.
“I’m Bob Gustafson. Nice to meet you, Stephanie.
Stephanie motioned them to a booth. “Why don’t the two of you sit here where it’s more private? Two coffees? Creams, I suspect?”
Bob laughed and shook his head. “I drink it like the Swedes. Black.”
Stephanie raced off and quickly returned with a fresh pot of coffee and a basket of condiments. “FYI . . . your daughter has turned into a topnotch waitress. I don’t know how we’d manage without her.”
Meredith blushed at the compliment, and when her dad reached over, patting her hand, she felt a deep sense of pride.
“I’ve always been proud of this girl. Whatever Meredith sets her mind to, she does it with a vengeance. I like that about her. She’s a true Gustafson.”
“I’m guessing Mere gets her self-confidence from your side of the family, too.” Stephanie winked at Bob as she said it, and Meredith felt relieved her mother hadn’t gotten up early enough to join them.
She loved being here with her dad, having him all to herself. As she glanced across the table at him, his deep blue eyes twinkling, she reminded herself that he might not be around forever. She really needed to set aside time for him.
After Stephanie poured their coffees and the two of them had placed their order, her father leaned back in his chair, staring at her. Meredith realized that they were about to have a talk. And no doubt, that talk would center around Adam.
Running interference for Adam seemed a good way to start the conversation. “You know, Dad, I certainly didn’t plan on dating anyone this soon. Adam’s a good man. He’s a college professor and is highly thought of at Sul Ross. That’s the university you passed when you came into town. He’s from the Boston area, but hasn’t been back there since God knows when. Adam really has a special bond with Travis, and Carly likes him, too. Well, as much as Carly can like anyone.”
“Relax, sweetie.” Her dad was shaking his head now, clucking like he always did when something amused him. “Your mother may not like him, but I do.”
“You do?” She wanted to jump from her chair, reach across the table and give her dad a hug, but she restrained herself, and instead, offered him a huge smile.
“One thing I’m baffled about. Your mother sounded like he had hair long enough to braid. But seriously, if he can braid hair that short, I’d be amazed.”
“Adam’s hair was longer. In fact, it was nearly shoulder length. But just before you arrived, he cut it all off.”
“Why would he go and do a thing like that?” Her father’s blue eyes bore into hers, and for the first time, she saw her own reflection in them.
“At first I assumed he was doing it for Mom.” She stopped, took a deep breath and continued. “But, actually? I think he did it for me, in a round-about way.”
“I think it’s safe to say that you’re in love with this man.”
“Yes, Dad. I am.”
“Then that’s good enough for me, Mere. I hope the two of you will be very happy together.”
Her father’s stamp of approval gave her the strength to confide in him, to tell him she and Adam were planning on living together.
~ ~ ~
As Bob shopped with his daughter at Ivey’s Emporium, he plunked three more items into the basket Meredith was carrying. When he headed over to the area with the lighting fixtures, Meredith followed him. He stopped before the selection of western décor lamps and eyed one in particular. After tracing the brown, leather lacing around the lampshade with his fingertip, he stepped aside and pointed it out to his daughter.
“Wow, Dad. That’s quite a lamp. Think Mom would go for the bucking bronco on the front of it? FYI . . . I seriously doubt it.” Meredith’s smile-her whole relaxed demeanor-was all the proof he needed to know his daughter hadn’t been this happy in years.
Katrina had badmouthed Adam Lightfoot and his influence on Meredith during the entire drive to Alpine, but seeing Mere’s eyes light up with every little mention of her new man, how relaxed she was, he decided that regardless of what his wife thought of Adam, this man was just exactly what Meredith needed right now.
Taking advantage of the fact the two of them were alone, Bob made the decision to just come out with it. He’d wanted to spend the morning with his daughter for a reason. He needed to tell her, before he lost his nerve. As he studied her face for several seconds, he tried to find just the right words to begin what would prove to be a difficult conversation.
“Everything okay, Daddy?”
He paused, took a deep breath and continued. “I bought your grandparents’ lake house.”
“Clear up in Minnesota?”
“Clear up in Minnesota.” Although he noted the worried look on Meredith’s face when he confirmed it, he decided to level with her. “I’ll be spending a lot of time up there. I miss it, Mere. Miss fis
hing with the guys. I miss taking the canoe out on the lake. It’s relaxing.”
“But Dad, you’ll be so lonely.”
“I’ll be alone, but I won’t be lonely. There’s a difference.”
Meredith set down the basket she was carrying and stared at him. “Are you sure everything is okay with you and Mom?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You’re not answering my question, Daddy.”
Bob watched his daughter’s eyes cloud and decided to put her mind to rest. “Everything is fine, Mere.”
She smiled, and he breathed a sigh of relief, thankful his daughter’s life was finally coming together after her divorce. While Katrina had always been fond of Blake, Bob had known for years from observing his daughter’s body language that she was miserable. Judging by how her demeanor had changed since moving to Alpine, he was razor-focused on making sure that once he left, Meredith would continue moving forward with her life.
“I’m glad everything is fine with you and Mom.”
“I’ll probably just spend summers at the cabin. Your mother claims she won’t join me at the lake that often, but I suspect, in time, she’ll be more on board with the idea.”
“You could always suck her into decorating the place, Daddy. She’d be all over that.”
He laughed at his daughter’s suggestion, in total agreement that decorating would definitely light a fire under Katrina. “I guess she would at that, honey.”
“Mom does love to decorate.”
Bob switched the conversation back to Adam. “The kids seem to have taken a shine to Adam. Does he have children of his own?”